Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
With Thames Television's Teddington Studios now providing a permanent new home for This Is Your Life, the majority of programmes are now recorded at the company's Thames riverside studios.
TV Times launched the new series with an article focusing on the various disguises employed by Eamonn Andrews to spring his surprises. Later in the series, the magazine published an article on how the production team maintain secrecy by using unique code names for each subject.
The BBC review programme Did You See...? broadcast a special edition devoted to This Is Your Life which included rare behind-the-scenes footage of a recent edition and interviews with presenter Eamonn Andrews, current producer Malcolm Morris and the programme's original producer Leslie T Jackson.
This Is Your Life history was made when an actor, comedian, composer and musician became the first subject to be honoured twice by Thames Television. This second tribute - a rare two-part edition - was recorded in Hollywood and broadcast over two consecutive weeks.
Unusually, this year's subject list included two couples, one of which received an hour-long special broadcast on New Year's Eve.
related pages...
The Story of This Is Your Life
a BBC Did You See...? special
the studio look and locations
two's company
the special editions
surprised again!
the show's fifty year history
TV Times feature on some bizarre outfits
Secret names that have special meaning
TV Times reveals more secrets from television's most secretive show
Press reviews of the BBC's Did You See...? special on This Is Your Life
| Bill WADDINGTON | Actor and comedian | 15 October 1986 |
| Robert FOOTE | Former British Army officer | 22 October 1986 |
| Carl DAVIS | Conductor and composer | 29 October 1986 |
| Gorden KAYE | Actor | 5 November 1986 |
| Teddy JOHNSON and | Husband and wife entertainers | 12 November 1986 |
| Pearl CARR | ||
| Monty FRESCO | Photographer | 19 November 1986 |
| Joe JOHNSON | Snooker player | 26 November 1986 |
| Susan GEORGE | Actress | 3 December 1986 |
| Bill WARD | Television producer and executive | 10 December 1986 |
| Rachel KEMPSON | Actress | 17 December 1986 |
| Gary WILMOT | Impressionist, singer and comedian | 24 December 1986 |
| Cliff MICHELMORE and | Husband and wife broadcasters | 31 December 1986 |
| Jean METCALFE | ||
| Liz HOBBS | Water skier | 7 January 1987 |
| Jack BERG | Former boxer | 14 January 1987 |
| Derek SCOTT | Lifeboat coxswain | 21 January 1987 |
| Patricia HODGE | Actress | 28 January 1987 |
| Harry FRIEND | Police constable | 4 February 1987 |
| Norman WISDOM | Comedian and actor | 11 February 1987 |
| Denis COMPTON | Former cricketer | 18 February 1987 |
| Christopher CAZENOVE | Actor | 25 February 1987 |
| Dudley MOORE | Actor, comedian, composer and musician | 4 March 1987 |
| Dudley MOORE | 11 March 1987 | |
| Terry MARSH | Boxer | 18 March 1987 |
| David JACOBS | Broadcaster | 25 March 1987 |
| William RUSHTON | Actor, cartoonist, comedian and satirist | 1 April 1987 |
| Gabrielle DRAKE | Actress | 8 April 1987 |
Broadcast details
Thames Television production for ITV26 editions | 25 x 30 minutes | 1 x 60 minutes
Wednesday | 7.00pm x 25 | 8.00pm x 1
Production team
Created by: Ralph Edwards - Ralph Edwards ProductionsProducer: Malcolm Morris | Associate Producer: Brian Klein | Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
Writers: Roy Bottomley, Norman Giller, Tom Kennedy | Programme Consultant: Roy Bottomley
Researchers: David N Mason, Miriam O'Callaghan, Tom Wettengel, Claire Jenkinson, Christine Fanthome
Sue Green, Colin Williams, Caroline Blackadder
Production Assistants: Irene Clark, Ellie Gleave | Designers: David Richens, Jane Krall, Jack McAdam | Film Research: Susan Tiplady
Studio Supervisors: Del Randall, Dick Hibberd, Fred Cope, Nigel Spong, Peter Ernster, Brian Kerr, Bruce Englefield
Lighting Directors: Alan Harradine, Peter Bower, Andy Andrews, Bob Simmons, David Motture, Clive Gulliver, John O'Brien, Chris Davies
Senior Cameramen: Adrian J Fearnley, Chas Watts, Albert Almond, Peter Shaw, Peter Howell, Roy Easton
Sound Supervisors: Peter Ball, Richard Churchill, Peter Bond, Brian Hibbert, Richard Bradford
Vision Control: Allan James, David Harvey, Tony Ball, Bill Marley, Bob Mason, Ian Coram
Vision Mixers: Peter Boffin, Peter Phillips, John Cooper, Martin Perrett, Nick Ames
Make-up Supervisors: Gillian Wakeford, Dianne Millar, Lesley Faulkner, Jann Marshall, Sally Harrison, Pauline Gyertson
Ann Briggs, Eva Marieges-Moore, Carol Cooper, Christine Morrell
Wardrobe Supervisors: Marcia Stanton, Lyn Harvey, Caroline Rybolt, Derek Hayward, Allard Tobin, Charlotte Melander
Floor Managers: John Lopes, Peter Beaven, Nick Hurran, David Downing, Patrick Vance, Aidan Boulter
Production Team: Roy Fewins, Tom Kavanagh, Mandy Lee, Grant Goodwin, Roger Holmes, Angela Kennedy, Elizabeth Ross
Jill Townsend, Peter Mason, Terence E Badham, Dave Lewington, Colin Bocking